Utilitarian

Raw

Portable performance venue

Beloved Atlanta tradition  

Egalitarian

Bringing Dance To The People!  

Photo by Karley Sullivan. Blake Beckham's American Muscle at PICA's Time Based Art Festival 2011

1. What was the initial idea/inspiration/impetus for the project?

Having worked in Portland as a lighting designer and technical director for contemporary dance, I was looking for a way to connect with the dance community in Atlanta – where I had recently relocated. I attended local dance festivals and showings, conducting research into which choreographers I wanted to work for. Meanwhile, I was working as a union stagehand at the Fox Theater, and had just unloaded the trucks for Alvin Ailey’s show. I noticed how the light bounced around in the truck and thought that the empty truck could become a jewel box for dance. A call for proposals came up for a neighborhood arts festival of “light." I saw this as an opportunity to test my idea of lighting the truck as a jewel box and finally introducing myself to those Atlanta choreographers! The very first choreographer to take the Dance Truck as a stage was Blake Beckham, with whom I later co-founded The Lucky Penny.

2. What were the logistics of getting the truck and setting it up, plus permits, drivers’ licenses, etc?

We rent a different truck for each performance. We’ve often rented 26’ box trucks from Ryder, or the flat bed truck from Home Depot. My favorites have been classic pick up trucks loaned by friends, and the 49’ trailer TC Smith gave us for our show at the TBA Festival in 2011. Despite the spontaneous feel of the shows, we maintain high production values for our choreographers. We have a full day of load in and tech rehearsals the day before a show. We hire a full crew, including overnight security, electricians, a stage manager, lighting designer, even a DJ who also serves as sound board op for the dancers' music cues. Typically, the presenter acquires permits for any street closures, noise permits, etc. We rent a generator, and we have been supported by the local theater and visual arts community for lighting, sound, projection and other production equipment.

Photo by Aubrey Longley-Cook. Choreography by Hez Stalcup and lighting design by Dylan Phillips.

Left to right: Morgan Carlisle Thompson, Hez Stalcup (Choreographer), and Anicka Austin perform at Elevate 2014

3. What is your next event?

Dance Truck will be presented by Emory Dance at the American College Dance Association Southeast Conference on March 10th and 11th. We placed our first ever “Open Call for Proposals” to students attending the Southeast Conference. We accepted student proposals from University of South Florida, Houston Community College, University of Georgia, and Emory University. The programs for each night will also include work by faculty and professional choreographers including Kristin Hapke from Coker College, Daniel Gwirtzman from Kennesaw State University, and Kristin O’Neal, Okwae A. Miller, and Beacon Dance (all from Atlanta).

Photo by Aubrey Longley-Cook. Impromptu dance party with DJ Santiago Páramo and Dance Truck audience

4. How can people get involved this year – as audience members or performers?

After the show at ACDA, Dance Truck will retreat into our residency time at The Lucky Penny’s Work Room. Dance Truck is just one of the projects produced by The Lucky Penny. Folks can Like and Follow The Lucky Penny on Facebook and keep an eye on Dance Truck’s website to see photos from our March show.

http://www.theluckypenny.org/work-room/

https://www.facebook.com/The-Lucky-Penny-134942346580202/

www.dancetruck.org

5. What do you love most about the project?

I love the community that rallies around the performances and the culture of contemporary dance production. Our audiences and supporters have proven that dance is for everyone…and I have to give a shout out to anyone who has joined the spontaneous dance parties in the truck post show!

Photo by Bobbi Jo Brooks. Dancer: Corian Ellisor 

Photographer Bobbi Jo Brooks developed a series called "Portraits of Mystery" featuring Dance Truck choreographers. This photo features Corian Ellisor, who has been commissioned by Dance Truck 6 times, including the original Dance Truck performance (September 2009).

——–

Related posts:

Artist Profile #118: Kathleen Wessel (Atlanta, GA)

Mike Barber of Ten Tiny Dances

———————–